Circulating Myths Abound Regarding Bad Breath Aka Halitosis
“Imagination is stronger than knowledge and myth more potent than history”
Author, Robert Fulghum
There is a collection of myths (‘urban legends’) surrounding the causes and cures of halitosis; some of these myths are based on partial facts and some are based on misunderstandings of the facts. Following are five popular myths, explained and, in some cases debunked.
Myth 1: It’s easy to tell if you have bad breath. There is a widely held belief that you can smell your own breath by cupping your hands over your mouth and nose. Admit it! You’ve tried it haven’t you? The fact is, it is nearly impossible to smell your own breath as others smell it. Two facts stand in the way of this working: first of all, your mouth and nose are not separate entities, they are connected by a passage that is way in the back of your mouth; secondly, your nose will filter out internal smells.
If you really want to know what your breath smells like, there are three ways to approach it. You can ask someone you trust to tell you if your breath is offensive; you can see a dentist who has access to a breath testing instrument called a ‘halimeter;’ or you can do a self test. The self test is performed by using a cotton swab to swab as far back as you can on the top of your tongue (an alternate method is to use an inverted spoon to gently scrape your tongue). After the swab (or spoon) has dried for just a couple minutes, smell it to get an indication, albeit subjective, of how your breath smells.
Myth 2: Your stomach is the source of bad breath. This is a myth that has some truth to it but is, for the most part, misleading. Occasionally bad breath will be the result of stomach problems, digestive problems, dieting or fasting but the majority of the time, bad breath is generated in the mouth by spoiled food stuck in the teeth or by bacteria on either the teeth, tongue or gums.
Myth 3: Brushing and flossing will eliminate bad breath. This might be true in some cases but this assumes that people brush and floss properly… most people don’t. Most people tend to brush too quickly, leaving many tooth surfaces and crevices covered with bacteria. Another problem with this myth is it doesn’t include the third, and most effective weapon in the oral hygiene triad: cleaning your tongue. It is a safe bet that the majority of people never even consider cleaning their tongue. A tongue cleaner (also called a tongue scraper) removes the primary cause of bad breath which is the buildup of mucus and bacteria on the tongue.
Myth 4: Mouthwashes Are Effective in Treating Bad Breath. Even the best mouthwash will only provide a temporary “mask” for your bad breath by removing some of the immediate causes but they really can’t be said to “treat” bad breath. Some mouthwashes, in fact, contribute to the bad breath problem. The only effective ‘treatment’ for bad breath is a combination of good, consistent oral hygiene and a balanced diet.
The vast majority of commercial mouthwashes will temporarily cover up your bad breath, do nothing to treat it and many of them. Iin fact, mouthwashes that contain alcohol, will actually contribute to your bad breath problem. The net effect of an alcohol-based mouthwash on your breath is negative — the alcohol is drying out your mouth and creating a great breeding ground for the kind of bacteria that contributes most to bad breath.
Next time you go to buy mouthwash (and if you have a bad breath problem and use an alcohol-based mouthwash, the next time should be today), check the labels on the mouthwashes and look for “chlorine dioxide” or “stabilized chlorine dioxide.” Mouthwashes with chlorine dioxide or stabilized chlorine dioxide actually attack that sulfurous, ‘rotten egg’ smell that oral bacteria leaves behind and won’t dry out your mouth.
NOTE: According to the makers of “ProFresh Oral Rinse,” their mouthwash is the “only” mouthwash on the market that actually contains chlorine dioxide, because they claim to have a patent that states that they have the exclusive right to use that chemical in a mouthwash. According to their literature, all other mouthwashes use ’stabilized chlorine dioxide’ which is actually ’sodium chlorite,’ a chemical used in the manufacture of chlorine dioxide. You be the judge! Manufacturers can “claim” anything, all that matters is which one works best for you!
Myth 5: Bad breath is caused by the foods we eat. This myth is a bit of an oversimplification of the facts. Temporary bad breath is caused by foods we eat that have a high sulfur content, foods such as onions and cabbage. Whatever we eat is digested (broken down) in the stomach. Some of the chemical elements of digested food are then absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the lungs. Consequently, our exhaled breath will tend to smell like what we have eaten. Food that contains high concentrations of sulfur just don’t smell good after they have been ingested!
Chronic cases of bad breath are not generally caused by this digestive process unless our regular diet consists of many high-sulfur foods (or if you are actually on a diet that is starving your system of carbohydrates). Instead, chronic bad breath results when bacteria in the mouth break down left over food particles creating odorous sulfur particles — in other words, poor oral hygiene. Brush thoroughly twice a day, floss once or twice a day, clean your tongue with a tongue cleaner (tongue scraper) once or twice a day, and eat a balanced diet; this combination is the ‘magic bullet’ for the vast majority of bad breath cases.